Sequel is up!

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Epilogue-New Lives in New Jersey

Alice Parker sat in Newark International Airport, but she didn’t feel the usual warm, bubbly feeling that came with being home. Sure, everyone said “cawfee” and nobody would think she sounded funny, but as she sat on the bench waiting for her luggage to come around on the carousel, Alice’s heart was aching. It had been almost two months since breaking things off with Sidney, but things weren’t getting much easier as the time went on. When she packed up her things in her office, she had hardly been able to tear the shitty penguin picture Sidney had drawn for her off of the wall. She cried as she dumped the tuque, CD, and jerseys he had gotten her into the trash. She felt naked as she slowly took off each and every single piece of jewelry he had given her, and put it in a small lock box so that she could pawn it later. So as she sat in the airport, she wasn’t surprised that a tear rolled down her cheek to rest on the hands which Sidney had so often held. She knew that in a way, it was her fault that they were done. Sidney had tried to apologize. He had tried to get her back….but she was too stubborn to accept his apology, and she didn’t know if she could ever face him again to admit that she too had messed things up. A light hand clasped her shoulder, and she looked up into the chocolate brown eyes of Marc-Andre Fleury.

“Marc, this is a lot harder than I thought it would be,” she whispered, and Marc nodded in agreement. He looked like a deer caught in the headlights. While everything about New Jersey was familiar to her, it was all new to him. The most he ever saw of Jersey, as he had admitted to Alice on the plane, was what he saw when he was playing at the Prudential Center. It was mid-July, and Marc and Alice were ready to head into the sweltering Jersey sun to start their new lives.

Marc had been approached and asked to drop his no-trade clause in his contract. After a lot of thought, he said that he would drop it if a deal could be made with the Islanders, Rangers, Devils, or Flyers. Alice didn’t know it, but he wanted to stay close to her. He knew that she was having a rough time dealing with the breakup, and he wanted her to know that he was going to be there for her no matter what. The Devils, suffering with the retirement of Martin Brodeur, had jumped on the opportunity to sign Marc, and they quickly agreed on a seven year, 49 million dollar contract with a no-trade clause. Marc found an apartment much like the one that him and Alice had in Pittsburgh, and rented it immediately. Alice was the first person to know about the trade, and so they decided that they would stick together in Jersey.

Their luggage finally came rolling by on the carousel, and Marc grabbed it quickly. Alice took her bags from him, and they headed out into the oppressive humidity of a typical July afternoon in New Jersey. 

49

I could hardly bring myself to watch the series. I cheered halfheartedly as Ilya Kovalchuk raised the Stanley Cup over his head, and the smile that usually spread over my face as I watched the whole Cup ceremony just couldn’t surface. Smiling was one of those things that hurt to do, and as I curled up on the couch and watched the scene unfurl before me numbly, I wondered what had gone wrong in my life.  Sidney had looked just as lost and confused as I felt as the camera panned past him in game 7 of the Eastern Conference Championships, but I knew that his loss and confusion was over the Cup, and not over me, the woman he had claimed to love. A spark of anger grew in my chest, and I clenched my fists tightly as the tears flowed down my cheeks once more.

^^^^^^

It had been twenty two days since I saw Alice. I felt the pain in my chest growing all the time, but I knew that I couldn’t ever repair the damage I had done. The whole time I was on the ice, I couldn’t stop thinking about what I had done. Hockey suddenly was drudgery. Life was suddenly dark and lonely. I didn’t know what to do, or where to turn as I walked into the building where she worked for an interview, prepared with a full apology to her, with the ring in my pocket, silently praying that she would accept my apology, and that everything would go back to the way it was. I arrived twenty minutes before the team was supposed to, and I headed directly to the floor where the sports department was located. I walked into the conference room where our interview was supposed to be, and froze as I saw a strange woman sitting where Alice usually sat.

“Where’s Alice?” I asked quietly.

“Didn’t you hear? Alice resigned a few weeks ago. She said something about personal issues. She’s going back to Jersey in a few weeks I think.” The woman said. I felt my stomach lurch as I stumbled blindly out of the conference room. My vision blurred as tears filled my eyes. What have I done? I’ve ruined it. I’ve ruined everything.

“Marc!” I screamed as Marc walked into the building. He paled as he saw the expression on my face, and I’m sure everyone could tell I had been crying.

“Sid…” Marc said quietly.

“Where is she? Where is Alice?” I asked, grabbing him by the shoulders.

^^^^^^

Sidney looked like a mad-man. Tears had stained his cheeks, his eye was still mildly bruised, and he had the look of a wild animal on his face as he grabbed me by the shoulders.

“I…I don’t know.” I lied. Alice had begged me not to tell Sidney where she was. She was actually still in our apartment, but she wanted it to seem as if she had moved out.

“How do you not know? She lives with you!” Sidney cried, and I shook my head.

“No…she doesn’t. Not anymore.” I lied once more. It hurt to lie to my friend and teammate, but after seeing everything that Alice had gone through, I knew she just wanted to protect herself.

“Fuck!” Sidney screamed before running out of the building. Evgeni dodged him as he walked out of the elevator.

“What happen to him?” Evgeni asked.

“He’s suddenly realizing how much he’s fucked up.” I said with a shrug.

^^^^^^

My lungs are burning by the time I leap out of the taxi and run up the steps to Alice’s apartment. I take the steps two at a time and a few people have to jump out of my way as I finally reach her floor. I pound on the door, not caring who sees me this way. I’m going insane. My heart is broken, and I know I’ve done it all to myself. I continue to bang furiously on the door.

“Alice please! I know you’re in there!” I call out, stopping my knocking. I hear the sound of breaking glass, and I know that she’s dropped a cup or something. I hear light footsteps fleeing from the doorway, and I slide down the door, sobs wracking my entire body. I just sit with my back against her door and weep. I am a broken man, and in this moment, there is nothing I can do to fix it.

I don’t know how I’ve managed to fall asleep, but when I wake up, I’m still sitting against the door to Alice’s apartment. A man looks at me strangely as he opens the door to his own apartment and walks inside, and I just hit my head against her door. The pain of knowing she is so close, but so unreachable is killing me. Every breath I take is sharp and painful, like my ribs are broken, but I know that the only thing broken is my heart. The rest of my body is numb, and I lean my head against her door once more.

“Alice, I’ll sit here all damn night if I have to,” I call out, hoping that she’ll hear me. After sitting there in the silence for a long time, I fall asleep again.

I wake up to the feeling of someone pushing me away from the door.

“Sidney get up. You look pathetic.” I hear a voice say. It’s cold, so cold that it’s almost unnatural. I look up and as soon as I see Alice, she lets go of my shoulders. I catch myself just in time, narrowly avoiding falling back and slamming my head against the floor.

“Alice…” is all I manage to croak. She stares at me. Her eyes are hard, her entire body is stiff, and I can see all of the pain I’ve caused her. Her hair isn’t as shiny as it used to be, she’s lost weight, and I can tell she hasn’t gotten much sun. Her eyes are red rimmed, there are dark circles beneath them, and her lips are drawn into a thin line. I want to kill myself for hurting her so badly.

“Leave. I’ve had security calling me for the past twenty minutes asking me to get you out of the goddamn hallway.” Alice growls before going to slam the door shut. I quickly shove my hand in the way, and I cringe as I feel the sickening snap of breaking bones. I can hear her sigh from behind the door, and she opens it just a tad.

“Please.” I say, and she shakes her head, but lets me in. My hand is throbbing, but the physical pain is nothing compared to the emotional pain I’m feeling right now. She leans against the kitchen counter, and I keep my distance, knowing that she wants nothing more than to get rid of me.

“Alice I fucked up.” I say lamely. She just glares at me.

“Really? I hadn’t noticed.” she growls.

“I was in a bad spot…I was freaking out over the playoffs, and I didn’t know what I was saying or doing half the time.” I said.

“Sidney I’m tired of that excuse! You’ve treated me like shit these past few months, and then you blame it on the stress of the playoffs! I understand you’re the captain of your team, and that it was a huge ordeal for you, but at the same time, you needed to man up and treat me right! Just because you’re stressed doesn’t give you the right to break my fucking heart Sidney Crosby!” Alice screamed, tears leaking out of her eyes. I felt my knees getting weak, and I squeezed my eyes shut tightly, trying to find the words to say.

“And I realize that now Alice…” I croaked.

“Sidney, I’m sorry…I know you’re trying to fix this…but I don’t do second chances. I can’t forgive you every time you do something like this. I know that next year will be like this all over again. And the year after that. And all of the times you play in the playoffs. I’m sorry Sidney, but I just can’t go through this every single year.” Alice said quietly, tears still rolling down her cheeks. I reached out with the hand she hasn’t broken to wipe away the tears, but she slaps it away. The door opens behind me, and I hear Marc stop in his footsteps as he takes in the scene before him. He quickly leaves once again.

“Please Alice, let me try and fix this. I love you, and I need you.” I pleaded, but Alice shook her head.

“Sidney, you’ve waited too long to try and fix this. If you had done this a few days…maybe even a week after, fine. But it shouldn’t take you this long to realize what you did. I’m moving on. It’s hard Sid…it’s really hard, but I have to move on with my life. I’m going back to Jersey, and there’s nothing you can do or say to stop me. Maybe in a few years we can be friends again, but I will never be able to love you again. Not the way I did. I’m sorry.” Alice said, and I felt my heart crumble even more. Tears made my vision blurry once more, and I took a step back from her.

“So this is it then? This is goodbye?” I asked quietly. Alice nodded somberly, and then took a step towards me. Her lips crushed against mine, and something in my chest blossomed, but my mind knew that it was only a goodbye kiss. I relished in the kiss, trying to remember the exact way her lips felt against mine, how she tasted like cherries and mint, and then it was over.

“Goodbye Sidney.” Alice whispered, and I walked out of the apartment. It was done, and I couldn’t fix it. I hailed a taxi, and told the cabbie to take me to the hospital. If I had to fix my broken life, I might as well start with my body.

AN: This is the end of Bringing the Devil Out of Me. I know it's not the happy ending you expected, but I promise things will get better in the sequel. Things are going to change for the Penguins, and Alice. I just hope you guys won't kill me for the changes I'm planning :D

48

"Marc I just don't get it!" I said, tears threatening to spill over once more. I wasn't upset about rooting for the Penguins, considering that my fiancee and our friends made up the entirety of the team. I was upset about the fact that Sidney thought I was rooting for him to fail. Marc patted my back comfortingly, and handed me the box of tissues.

"Alice, he's just nervous, and not having you root for us makes us all a little nervous. You’re our lucky charm…and guys really love seeing their girls rooting for them. It’s completely egotistical, but it’s the truth.” Marc explained, and I sighed heavily.

“Do you think I could get away with wearing the jersey he gave me when he proposed?” I asked.

“I’m not too sure about that.” Marc frowned, but he pulled out his phone, which had begun to ring.

“Hey Sid…” he said quietly. I heard Sidney talking on the other line, and I could hear the anger in his voice, and that just made me start to cry again. Marc stared at me wide eyed as he tried to hold the conversation with Sidney.

“No, she’s here right now. Yeah…no…well what did you expect, pulling a move like that? Yeah, I’d say that. No, probably the biggest ass in the universe would suit you better. Mmhmm. Nope, I’d rather you not do that right now. Yeah. No, I would prefer if you stayed home right now. Shut the hell up and go to bed Sidney. We’ll talk tomorrow at the morning skate.” Marc said. His voice was layered with anger, and he hung up the phone quickly.

“What was that about?” I asked, hiccupping.

“He wanted to know if you were okay…and then he wanted to come over and apologize, but he needs to realize what he did and not be forgiven in a heartbeat.” Marc said.

“Forgiven in a heartbeat?” I asked.

“You and I both know that you forgive him for everything way too easily. Don’t give in this time Alice. You’ve gotta stand your ground with him sometimes. He’s used to getting everything he wants, and you have to be the one to let him know that he can’t always have it.” Marc explained.

“So what jersey should I wear tomorrow?” I asked quietly.

“Wear the one he gave you when he proposed…it’ll be a compromise. If he can’t accept that…well, would you want to be with a control freak anyway?” Marc asked before walking into his room. He slammed his door a little too loudly, and I cringed before making my way into my own bedroom. I flopped onto the bed and began to sob into my pillows.

^^^^^^

I lay in my bed and listened to her sobbing for what seemed like the millionth time in the past few months. She genuinely loved Sidney, but he was such an asshole sometimes. I wanted to punch him square in the face, give him another black eye for making her cry like this…but I had no right to be so angry about another guy making her upset. A dark, brooding feeling blossomed in my chest every time I saw them together, and I couldn’t help but wonder if I had feelings for Alice that I shouldn’t. I rolled over on my bed and pulled a pillow over my head, trying to drown out the sound of her crying. I could picture her delicate little frame shaking in that bed of hers, and my heart ached. After suffering through a nasty breakup with Vero only weeks before Alice moved in, I knew the pain of losing someone you loved. I knew what Sidney was going to do if she wore the Brodeur jersey, and I knew she was going to be miserable if she wore her Pens jersey, so I opted for the path less traveled and told her to wear the Devils/Crosby jersey. I just prayed that Sidney would take it as a compromise, and not as her being obstinate. I decided to pack her Pens jersey in my bag just in case, but I also knew that if Sidney couldn’t accept both sides of her life, she might leave him instead of him leaving her. I was an outsider looking in on their relationship as it crumbled, and I was entirely sure if I wanted to help salvage it. The uncertainty made me feel like a horrible person, because I knew that both of my friends would also crumble if their relationship failed. I just hoped that everything would work out in the end. I eventually fell asleep, and all of my worries were temporarily swept away.

^^^^^^

I shifted nervously from foot to foot as I waited outside the locker room for Sidney. I was wearing the Devils jersey he had given me, along with black leggings and my black and white Chuck Taylor low tops. My heart was pounding so fast it made me dizzy, and my stomach was doing flips as I struggled to remember how to breathe. I twisted the engagement ring on my finger nervously, and as the door opened up, I felt like I was going to throw up all over the place. Max walked out first, immediately gathering the extremely pregnant Annabeth into his arms and kissing her cheek. A few more of Sidney’s teammates walked out next, but when Evgeni walked out, I knew I was doomed. Sidney followed him closely, and as soon as he saw me, his gaze hardened. All he did was walk over, and quietly slip the ring off of my finger.

“Sid…” I croaked, turning so he could see the number on the sleeve.

“No Alice…just…this is too important for me to be okay with compromise. I need to know you’re behind me one hundred percent. I’m sorry…” he said before walking away. I watched as he tucked the ring into his pocket and hung his head sadly. Evgeni wrapped an arm around his shoulder and turned to glare at me. I felt my legs give out from underneath me, and I collapsed to the ground, sobs shaking my entire body. I knew some of the guys were staring at me, but I didn’t care. In that moment, my entire world was collapsing in around me. I cried until I couldn’t breathe, and then I cried some more. I felt like my heart was being torn in two, and deep inside I knew that Sidney would never go back on this decision. I also knew that I couldn’t bear to be with someone who couldn’t accept my decisions, or at least compromise with me. Hockey was Sidney’s career, and his entire life until he met me, but now I knew that when it came to love, Sidney Crosby could only love one thing; hockey. I peeled off the jersey and threw it to the ground, revealing the Crosby tee-shirt I had been wearing underneath, and kicked it away from me. I felt thin arms wrap around me, and I sobbed even harder as Marc held me to his chest and muttered sweet nothings to me in my ear to try and calm me down.

47

My worst nightmare was becoming a reality. The Penguins defeated the Capitals 4 games to 2, and the Devils had defeated the Rangers 4 games to 1.

Sidney was going to be playing the Devils…not only was he going to be playing the Devils, but he was going to be playing the Devils for the position of Eastern Conference Champions. I sat on the couch in my apartment and gnawed on my bottom lip as I watched ESPN’s team matchup. The odds were pretty much dead even, and I had no clue what was going to happen. Everyone at work was hounding me over the whole ordeal, and even Sidney was ribbing me about it. Marc came walking out of his bedroom, and sighed heavily as he looked at me.

“Alice, mon cherie, why are you worrying so much about this whole thing?” he asked, dropping down on the couch beside me. I simply groaned and turned the TV off. Marc pulled me into a hug, and I could hear him chuckle quietly.

“What?” I asked.

“You know we’re going to win anyway, so quit worrying about it.” Marc smirked, and I slapped his chest playfully.

“You’re a jerk, you know that?” I asked, and Marc simply laughed again. Just then there was a knock at the door, and I jumped up to answer it. Sidney was standing there in a gray tee, black shorts, his usual sneakers, and his eye was still bruised shut.

“Sid!” I squealed happily, and Marc rolled his eyes.

“You didn’t know he was coming?” Marc asked. I shook my head and dragged Sidney into the apartment. Marc stood up and grabbed his keys off of the coffee table.

“I’m going to Staalsy’s for a bit, see you two kids later.” he grumbled before quickly leaving the apartment. I raised my eyebrows, but then I saw the look on Sid’s face. I knew that dark, brooding look, and I groaned inwardly. He was freaking out again. I took his hands in mine and pulled him onto the couch, but he just stared at me with one eye and I sighed.

“Sid…why are you still nervous? You’ve done so well during the playoffs, why do you feel like you’re going to fail now?” I asked quietly, and Sidney took his hands from mine. I dropped my hands onto my lap and felt confusion blossom in my chest.

“I’m nervous because now you’re going to root for them.” he said, spitting out the last word with a bitter look on his face. I stared at him, dumbfounded, for a few seconds, and then raised my eyebrows.

“What do you mean? You even said that if I switched colors you’d be…” I started, but Sidney cut me off.

“Okay with it? Honestly, I’m not okay with it. None of the other guys have to worry about their girlfriends or wives cheering for the other team. Especially not for something this big. If we lose this round, we go home. If we win, we get to play for the Stanley Cup. Alice, I can’t deal with you rooting for the Devils. I…I thought I could, but I just can’t. It honestly hurts.” Sidney explained.

“Sid…how…why?” I asked.

“Because I feel like you don’t love me enough to root for my team. I know the Devils have been there your whole life, but we’re supposed to get married. I know it sounds stupid, but I just can’t do it Alice. I just came here to tell you that. If you wear your Devils jersey on Saturday, I’ll know that you’ve made up your mind and that we’re done…” Sidney said before standing up. Tears welled up in my eyes.

“Wait a minute Sidney Crosby! You’re going to dump me? Over hockey?” I asked, sadness and anger welling up in my voice as tears began to spill from my eyes. Sidney hung his head.

“No, but I will dump you if you can’t choose me over anything else.” Sidney said coldly, and I felt my heart drop into my stomach.

“You are such a jerk! I have been choosing you Sidney! I’ve chosen you all along!” I screamed, and he just turned and left the apartment. I collapsed onto the floor and began to sob. For once, the ring on my finger made me want to die instead of smile. What is going on with our relationship?

AN: I am so sorry about essentially abandoning my stories on blogger T.T I really am. I've been using mibba lately, and I'm actually thinking of transferring these storeis onto Mibba so that everything could be in one place so I'm not neglecting any of my fictions. Feedback?

46

After dinner Sidney started muttering game plans to himself, watching countless tapes of both Washington goaltenders, and looking for every possible weakness in the team that he could exploit.

“Do you want a picture of Ovechkin to pin to a dart board too babe?” I asked, walking past the living room. He jumped, obviously so wrapped up in his work that he had forgotten I was in the house.

“Yes.” He growled, and I chuckled.

“Sidney you need to relax. If you keep freaking yourself out over every game, you’re eventually going to slip up. If you just take a few deep breaths, let yourself sleep, and keep calm, you’ll do great. You’re a great hockey player, so stop worrying.” I said, walking over to pause the most recent tape he was watching. He groaned and hung his head in his hands.

“I can’t stop worrying Alice. I’m just…I need to beat Ovechkin. I think I’d puke blood if I saw him with the Cup in his hands.” Sidney croaked. I simply stroked his hair and kissed him gently.

“He won’t win the Cup.” I said quietly.

“How do you know?” Sidney asked.

“Because I know that you can do it.” I said. He grinned and kissed me.

“Thanks Alice.” He smiled. I slipped into his lap and played with his hair. He closed his eyes and rested his head against my shoulder. In that moment, there was no need for words. I was there for him, I believed in him, and that was something that he needed. He had always had people who expected things from him, but I seriously questioned whether someone had ever told him that they believed in him.

TWO DAYS LATER

I opened the front door quickly, and Marc and Alice darted into the house as quickly as possible. It was pouring rain, and we had a few hours before the first game against Washington. Marc had a huge grin on his face, and so did Alice, so I immediately raised my eyebrows in suspicion.

“What are you two plotting?” I asked. Marc shook his head.

“You are so dense Sid. Geno noticed this morning when I showed up to practice. By the way, where is the big lug? He hasn’t been hanging around much lately.” Marc asked. I shrugged.

“New girlfriend or something like that. He’s been just as stressed as me, and when the two of us are freaking out things tend to get a little…” I said.

“Explosive?” Alice suggested. I nodded.

“Yeah, explosive would be a good word for that. So, what are you guys plotting?” I asked again.

“Sidney, I went to the doctor today.” Marc said. His grin grew and my eyes flew to his leg. The brace was gone.

“Oh shit, you’re out of the brace dude! I was wondering why we couldn’t hear you.” I cried happily.

“Yeah, and that’s not even the best part…” Alice grinned devilishly.

“What is?” I asked.

“My knee is completely healed. I’ve been cleared to begin skating again Sid. I might be able to make it to the last round of the playoffs, even though Brent’s been doing a hell of a job.” Marc beamed. I hugged him tightly.

“DAMMIT YES FLOWER! I MISS YOUR SEXY SELF IN OUR CREASE!” I cried, and they both laughed.

“So you weren’t ready to sign up for backup then?” he chuckled. I immediately thought back to one of our practices a while ago, when I had donned his pads and tried to block a few shots. I laughed my first real laugh in a few weeks.

“Oh definitely Flower. You know how well that would go over.” I smirked.

________________________________________________________________________________

I sat in the box with Marc. He was extremely nervous, even if he wasn’t playing. He donned a headset to relay info to the coaches and trainers, and I sat to his right, pointing out things as I noticed them. It was a rare privilege to be allowed to sit with the injured players, especially when they were doing what Marc was doing, but I had been given permission from Bylsma to sit with Marc. I couldn’t help but feel that Marc, Sidney, and some of the other guys I had gotten friendly with had managed to pull a few strings, but I was incredibly serious about the position. Both teams came out flying, and Sidney and Ovechkin automatically started bee lining for each other. I was kind of nervous because Ovechkin was a lot bigger than Sidney, but I also knew that Sid wasn’t going to go down without a fight. I saw them trash talking each other quite a few times, and Marc shook his head.

“They’re going to go at it one day, I just know it.” he muttered to me.

“Sidney isn’t a fighter though, especially with someone as big as Ovechkin.” I said in reply. I felt my jaw drop as Sidney dropped his gloves after a ridiculous slash from Ovechkin. Marc and I had both screamed in outrage when we realized that a penalty wasn’t going to be called, but this shock was ten times more…shocking. Ovechkin accepted, and they were going at it. Sidney was surprisingly well off in the fight, positioning himself just right, getting a great grip on Ovi’s jersey, and within two minutes, Ovechkin was down. The Penguins fans roared, and I couldn’t help but let out a few excited yells of my own. Marc simply laughed and shook his head, and Sidney had the world’s biggest smirk plastered onto his battered face as he was escorted to the penalty box. Marc grimaced as a loud roar came from his head set. Coach was obviously not happy about Cappy taking a fighting penalty.

“Coach, chill. Their lead scorer is out too, remember?” Marc said after a few more seconds of screaming.

The Penguins won the game 7-3. The media hounded Sidney, and I had some questions lined up for the guys as well, but most of my article had been written already. It was weird how much my career had started shaping around the Penguins’ schedule. In fact, I was being sent to cover the series when it headed to Washington too. Marc pulled me into the locker room with him, dodging several reporters (some of whom I had gotten to know), and we managed to make our way through the crowd to talk to Sidney. I crept up behind him and hugged him, and he jumped.

“Jesus Alice, you scared the crap out of me!” he chuckled, turning around and kissing my forehead. I smiled and looked up at him, only to feel my eyes widen. His left eye was swollen shut, a thick, black bruise shining brightly against his skin. I reached up to touch it gingerly, but Sid grabbed my wrist.

“It hurts…a lot.” he said quietly.

“Looks like it does.” I said. He shrugged and buttoned up his shirt, quickly tied his tie, and took me by the elbow. He answered a few questions as we made our way out of the locker room, but he had the look of a caged animal by the time we got to the parking lot.

“It feels like the days I want to get out the most are the days I can’t.” he sighed. Marc ran up behind us, and the three of us made our way to the big black SUV that I had driven to the game (it was Marc’s car).

“I feel ya.” I said, giving him a sympathetic smile and squeezing his hand. He smiled appreciatively and took the keys from me.

“Are you sure you should drive with one eye Sid?” Marc asked. Sidney nodded and climbed into the driver’s seat. I called shotgun, and Marc slipped into the back seat.

The next morning I felt like my head was going to explode. I still couldn’t open my left eye, and I had a raging headache. My heart leapt into my throat, and I silently prayed that I didn’t have a concussion. I knew that the doctors at the game said I didn’t, but I was always afraid of getting one now. I rolled out of bed and walked downstairs, quickly making myself an ice pack with a few cubes of ice out of the freezer, a plastic bag, and a towel. I pressed it to my eye, and grimaced at the contact. Ovechkin could punch, I’d give him that much. Luckily, he wasn’t very accurate when he hit. I surprised myself when I was the last man standing, but now I was aching all over and my pride wasn’t exactly helping ease the pain. I texted Alice, telling her to come over, and she showed up not twenty minutes later. I was relieved when I didn’t see Marc at her heels, and quickly crossed the foyer to pull her into a kiss. She squealed in surprise, smiling against my lips. I broke away, but crushed her to my chest. I wanted to hold her forever, and she seemed pretty intent on letting me do just that. For a long time, we stood like that, occasionally kissing each other, and just relishing the feeling of being in the arms of the person we loved. For a little while, I forgot everything except for her and everything seemed just right with the world.

_______________________________________________________________________________

AN: I apologize for not posting in so long. I have been juggling a lot of school work, some craziness in the family, and a few other things and I just had trouble being able to sit down and write this all out.

45

I paced back and forth in the foyer, taking deep breaths and checking my watch over and over again. I had to leave in 20 minutes, but I felt like I should get to the stadium early. Alice had told me that she would meet me at the stadium, which was weird, because we usually drove together. She’s probably driving Marc though. After five minutes passed, I grabbed my keys and bag and headed out the door.

I stood in front of my closet, and the three jerseys hanging there taunted me. It was a sandwich, the two red Devils jerseys hanging on either end of the black Penguins jersey. The Penguins had secured the second seed, since the Devils had caught up to them in the back end of the season. Marc limped into my room and hugged me from behind. Over the past few months he had become like my brother, and he chuckled.

« Vous rencontrez des difficultés? » He asked. I nodded.

« Oui, Je ne sais pas lequel je devrais porter. » I sighed. Marc chuckled.

« Qui ne vous aime plus ? » He asked before walking out of the room. I stared at his back, and I knew he had a devilish grin plastered to his face.

« Marc, ce n’est pas juste ! Vous savez que l’amour Sidney ! » I wailed as he hobbled back into his room.

« Je sais, c’est pourquoi je l’ai dit ! » Marc called.

I leaned against the wall, waiting for Alice to romp down the hallway in her usual manner. I heard Marc hobbling down the hall (his brace squeaked a little) and stood up straight. He quickly came into view, but Alice wasn’t behind him.

“Where’s Alice?” I asked.

“No ‘hey Marc, how’s it going?’ I see. Alice is sitting in the parking lot having a battle of conscience. She brought all three of her jerseys, and she’s trying to decide which one she should wear.

“Why did she even bring the Devils jerseys? It’s not like we’re playing them…we’re playing Philadelphia.” I chuckled.

“Yeah, but her team is still in the playoffs. If she wears that Penguins jersey, she’s committing to rooting for us for the entire playoffs.” Marc said. I rolled my eyes and pulled out my cell phone.

“Alice, wear the Penguins jersey. If we play New Jersey, I’ll forgive you for switching colors.” I said as soon as she picked up.

“Is that okay?” She asked. She sounded so confused.

“Alice…it’s okay to have two teams. Think of it as rooting for your friends instead of another team!” I said. I heard her chuckle, and gave Marc a thumbs up.

“Alright…I’ll be there in a few seconds.” She said before hanging up.

“You two are so perfect for each other…too perfect, I think.” Marc smiled.

“Hey, I’m sure you’ll find a girl soon enough.” I said. Max and Annabeth came walking down the hallway, and I couldn’t help but gape. Plump didn’t do her justice. Well duh Sidney, she’s like…six months pregnant. Her entire face was glowing with a happy excitement, and I hugged her as best as I could with her big tummy in the way.

“They, looking a little chubby, eh?” I asked, patting her stomach.

“Sid, you’re a jerk. You ready?” Annabeth asked. I glanced at Max, and then at Marc, and they exchanged a look.

“I guess.” I sighed, running my hand through my hair.

“I know how you get before big games…just try and relax okay? You’re going to do amazingly.” Annabeth said. Her voice was full of confidence, and I felt myself calm down slightly, just like when we were little kids back in Canada.

“Annabeth!” I heard Alice cry happily as she flounced down the hallway. I felt my chest swell with pride when I saw her in my jersey. Yeah, it was a bit egotistical, but I wanted everyone to know she was all mine. The locket I had given her hung from its delicate silver chain around her neck, and I knew she was wearing the bracelets as well. I felt my heart flutter as I saw she was wearing the engagement ring I had given her as well. Even though we had gotten engaged a month ago, I still didn’t believe it unless I saw the ring on her finger. She hugged Annabeth happily, and then turned to me. I grinned half heartedly and she hugged me tightly.

“Sidney, don’t you dare look nervous. You’re going to do fine.” She whispered.

“I wish I felt the same way.” I croaked. My pre game jitters were at an all time high, and Alice looked at me for a minute before taking my hand.

“Come with me.” She said, dragging me down the hallway.

I grunted in surprise as Alice led me into a small maintenance closet, and flung me against the back wall. She shut the door quickly, and then grabbed my tie. My eyes widened. Holy hell, what is going on here? I’ve never seen that look on her face before. She pulled me down and kissed me so roughly it was almost violent. I quickly kissed her back, and our tongues collided. She tugged at my tie, and eventually got it off. She started to unbutton my shirt, and as her hands fluttered to my bare shoulders, my phone rang. I growled irritably, but pulled it out anyway.

One New Message: Marc

Dude, I know you’re probably getting some right now, but the guys are looking for you. Get down here and get dressed for the game you crazy s.o.b. Love ya! ~Flowers

I sighed and stared at Alice for a second before picking up my tie, kissing her one last time, and slipping out of the closet. I buttoned my shirt back up and started to retie my tie as I walked into the locker room. I was immediately greeted by all kinds of wolf whistling and howls, and I felt my face burn.

“Get it Sidney!” Comrie called from his stall. I simply raised my middle finger in salute to the entire locker room and got dressed for the game. As we were lined up waiting to dash onto the ice, I realized something. For the first time in my life, I was completely calm before the game. I grinned widely, and ran onto the ice without a second thought.

“Alice you’re a miracle worker!” Marc cried as he hobbled into the box. I raised my eyebrows.

“Why?” I asked.

“Sid was actually calm for once. It really helps when he’s calm…the rest of the guys just seem to fall into place…maybe you should have sex before every game.” Marc said, muttering the last part into my ear as Trina and Troy stood up to say hello. A young girl, who was practically a female version of Sidney, jumped up as well. I glared at him.

“We didn’t have sex…we just made out a little bit. We haven’t had sex once, fyi.” I growled before walking over to greet Sid’s family. Taylor was a riot, and she screamed every time something good or bad happened. She definitely brought more life into the box, that’s for sure. Some of the other players’ kids loved her, and by the end of the game she had a lot of babysitter potential. We both ran from the box to the locker room, hoping to catch Sidney before the tirade of reporters flooded the locker room. In the past few months, I had discovered that I could just as easily get interviews with all of the guys on the phone, and my interviews were still the best that Pittsburgh could offer. In a way, I was very pleased with myself. My reporting career had taken off flying, and people depended on me for their Penguins news. It was a good feeling, and something that I had wanted for a very long time. Sidney grabbed me and Taylor, and kissed us both on the cheek.

“My favorite girls!” He grinned, wrapping an arm around each of our shoulders.

Sidney remained calm for the rest of the Philadelphia series, and the Penguins moved on to round 2, taking the series 4 games to 2. The next team on their list was the Washington Capitals, and I knew that Sidney was going to be extremely hard to deal with.

“God damn it, where did I put that tape?” He growled, tearing through his box of DVDs. He made sure to get every game he played on tape, and watched the games constantly. He was still sweaty from his workout, and I bit back a sigh, picking the DVD he was looking for up off of the kitchen table.

“Here it is. You left it on the table babe.” I said. He looked up and I could see the frantic look in his eyes.

“Thanks.” He said, snatching the disk from my hand. He popped it in the DVD player, and immediately started mumbling to himself, his eyes following himself on the screen. I walked over and paused the DVD, and he opened his mouth furiously. I simply kissed him gently before sitting beside him on the couch. I ran my hands up and down his back, rubbing it gently. I massaged his shoulders, and after a few minutes he relaxed. I kissed his neck, and his jaw, and then wrapped my arms around his neck. I leaned my head against his and kissed the side of his face.

“Sidney calm down.” I whispered. He took a deep breath, and sighed.

“I’m trying.” He mumbled, leaning back into me. I was sandwiched (comfortably) between him and the couch. We sat there for a long time, and I chuckled quietly to myself when I heard Sidney start to snore. I slipped out from behind him, and laid him down gently on the couch. I covered him with a thin blanket, and then headed into the kitchen to make dinner for the both of us.

AN: Sorrry about all the difficulties with this post...I've been running on empty for the past few days, and it's showing in my posting haha.

44

"Hello?" Alice asked. Her voice was hoarse. Dammit Sid, you woke her up.
"Hey." I said quietly.
"Oh. Hey Sid." She muttered. I could tell she was still upset.
"Can I come over?" I asked her.
"Why?" She asked. Great, she went from pissed, to upset, to pissed again. This is going to be a tough one.
"So I can  talk to you about yesterday." I said.
"What is there to talk about?" She asked. I bit back a growl of irritation.
"Just...let me come over." I said.
"Fine." She said. I opened my mouth to say goodbye, but the line went dead.

When I showed up at her apartment, everything was quiet as usual. Marc was probably still sleeping. He slept a lot ever since the accident. Alice was sitting in the kitchen, arms folded over her chest, in black yoga pants, a loose white teeshirt, and glaring at the doorway.
"So, say what you want to say, and then get out." Alice said. I cringed. She was a lot angrier than I thought she was.
"Alice...I'm sorry about yesterday." I said, walking towards her. She got up and walked to the opposite side of the kitchen. Everything about her body screamed "don't you touch me or I'll roundhouse kick you in the face".
"You should be." She said quietly.
"I know. Look...I get ornery during the playoffs, and I probably should have warned you beforehand." I sighed.
"Or, you could think for five damn seconds before you open your mouth." She said. Her eyes had an angry spark in them I had never seen before.
"I know! That's why I'm trying to say. I'm not trying to make excuses, but I am trying to explain myself here." I said. I tried to keep my voice calm, but I really was getting irritated by this. Everything irritated me during the playoffs, no matter how lighthearted I seemed to people outside of my circle.
"Well, you might want to do a better job." She growled. I clenched my teeth and took a deep breath.
"Alice, I shouldn't have done what I did yesterday. I wasn't thinking, I was pissed about how crappy I played in that last game I was watching, and I am just trying to keep my shit together right now. It's the playoffs Alice...I hardly sleep, I can barely bring myself to eat, I get irritable, and I don't think. Honestly...I am scared shitless. I mean, I'm the captain. If we lose, isn't it my fault? I'm supposed to be the leader on the ice. I have to score these incredible goals against goalies who are playing like their lives depended on it. I never know if I'm good enough to be there, or what's going to happen during the game. I just..." I said, but Alice cut me off towards the end by simply walking over and hugging me tightly.
"I'm sorry." She mumbled into my chest. I hugged her back and kissed the top of her head.
"Don't be. I was a jerk." I said. She looked up and all of the anger was gone from her face. Love had returned to her eyes and I breathed a sigh of relief. That's better.
"I didn't realize how freaked out you were about all of this. I thought..." She started to say.
"You thought that I was Sidney Crosby and that I could handle anything and everything hockey without a second thought." I said. She stared at me.
"Yeah." She said. I smiled, shook my head, and kissed her. I swear, I would have been so screwed if this fight had lasted any longer.

43

I never thought I'd be so bored in my entire life. The house was so empty without Alice in it, and I hated the fact that she was busy covering the Penguins while I was stuck at home. Granted, I did get a few things done that I should have gotten done anway, like my half of the guest list, but I was restless. I turned on the NHL Network, which didn't help, and I had to resist the urge to throw the remote through the TV screen. I tried to play xbox, which was a lot harder with a gunshot wound than I anticipated, so I gave up on that quickly too. There was absolutely nothing to do, and by the time Alice walked in the door I practically jumped on top of her.
"Hey...you look happy to see me." She chuckled, brushing a strand of bright red hair from her face. God damn, she's the most gorgeous thing I've ever seen.
"Why wouldn't I be happy to see you?" I asked, before kissing her. She let out a squeak of surprise, but melted into my arms. She wrapped her arms around my neck, carefully avoiding my shoulder, and I grinned against her lips. Our tongues collided and my heart raced. We slowly made our way upstairs, hardly breaking apart to breathe.
"Sid this is definitely not fair." She muttered.
"What's not fair?" I asked before kissing her again. I couldn't help but feel victorious as her knees went weak.
"You are teasing me." She groaned.
"Teasing you?" I asked, surprise making my eyebrows shoot up.
"You know how much I want you right now?" She whispered. I felt my mouth grow dry. She is really going to make me fight this, isn't she?
"Alice...we talked about this. Why do I feel like we're going to do something we said we wouldn't?" I croaked. She grinned sexily and shoved me gently onto the bed. I sat on the edge and she perched on my lap. I put my hands on her hips and absolutely drowned in her kisses. She was delicious, really.
"Sidney, I swear to God when we get married I am going to wreck you." She growled. I groaned inwardly.
"Now who's the tease?" I asked. She chuckled and kissed me again.
"Did you get that wedding list done?" She asked.
"Yeah. Let's stop talking now." I said before kissing her roughly.

For the next two weeks that was the story of my life. My shoulder was healing quickly. The bullet had missed bone, and major veins, so I was healed up in no time. Sore, but cleared to play, I returned to the Penguins on March 5th, and by March 8th I was cleared for contact. Everyone on the team was thrilled, especially with Marc still out. Alice had gone back to their apartment two days after my incident because Marc had been released, and she was babying the hell out of him.
"Sidney, I'm gonna get fat if she keeps it up!" Marc said as I walked into their apartment. Sure enough, Alice had been making him dinner every night, and I laughed.
"The day you get fat is the day I become best friends with Ovechkin." I smirked. Alice kissed me on the cheek, and I returned the kiss with a hug and kiss of my own.
"So, how's the whole walking thing going for you?" I asked Marc.
"Eh, a little rough. Very sore, you know? I have a bad limp, but that's probably because of the brace." Marc shrugged, tapping the black metal brace that kept his shattered knee from bending too far. Most of his injuries from the accident had been cuts and bruises, but he had also been delivered a harsh concussion, several broken ribs, a shattered left knee, and a broken nose. His ribs were healing up nicely, and his knee was getting better every day. His nose didn't even look broken, but he still fretted over it.
"Good to know it's getting there though." I smiled.
"Yeah. So, you guys look like you'll be heading to the playoffs without me." Marc sighed.
"Hey, just heal up alright? Don't worry about the playoffs quite yet. We've still got a lot more games to go, and we're fighting for the first seed." I said, flashing Alice a grin. Her Devils were in first seed, 10 points ahead of us. They were exploding, which wasn't surprising, considering the rebound they had in the second half of last season.
"Keep trying Sid, you're not going to butter me up enough to root for you though." Alice chuckled.

Before we knew it, it was April. My stress level was through the roof, and Alice seemed to be picking up on it.
"Sid, what do you want to eat?" She asked.
"I don't fucking know!" I growled, watching and rewatching films from last night's game.
"Hey, don't talk to me like that. I'm trying to help you out here." Alice said. I paused the film and turned to her, not getting up from my seat.
"Look, I'm going to be like this until the playoffs are over...and trust me, if we lose, I'm going to get a lot worse." I said.
"I understand that, but you still have no right to treat me like that." Alice said.
"I thought you knew what you were getting into with this relationship." I said.
"Sid, I know that hockey is your life, but I'm your fiancee. You don't have to talk to me like that, no matter how stressed you are." She said. Her face was flushed, and I could feel my own irritation growing.
"Well if you can't handle me when I'm stressed, you should probably leave!" I cried. She bit her lip and glared at me.
"Fine. When you're done being Princess Douche, and you're ready to talk to me like a civilized human being, then you can call me. Until then, fuck you." Alice growled, grabbing her purse and storming out of the house.
"Fuck!" I cried, throwing the empty glass that had been sitting on the coffee table against the wall. It shattered and I grimaced, knowing full well how pissed Alice was going to be at me for the next few days. A few hours later I got a phone call from Marc.
"Sid what the hell?" He asked as soon as I picked up.
"What do you mean, what the hell?" I asked.
"Why did you talk to Alice like that? She is trying to help you, and you pull some diva bullshit? She's been crying for over an hour. She's afraid that if she does the wrong thing around you now, you'll break up with her." Marc explained. I groaned.
"Shit...no...Marc...you know how I get around playoffs. I'm the captain, I'm 'Sid the Kid'...everyone is counting on me. It's a lot of pressure, and I get snappy. I'm not going to break up with her." I sighed.
"I know that, but she doesn't. And you say everyone is counting on you...well that includes her Sid. She loves you, and she's trying to be supportive, but if you're going to curse her out when she asks you what you want for dinner, that's going to make her uncomfortable." Marc said. I ran a hand through my hair and sighed again.
"I know. Look...I'll give her some time to recover, and I'll call her in the morning to apologize. Until then, just tell her that I'm sorry and that I love her, okay?" I asked.
"Okay." Marc said before hanging up. I'm a dumbass.

Author's Note

So, if you're wondering why I've changed the rating, it's because of some of my choices of language...and some other stuff. Just thought I'd let you know :D

42

Sid went from as high as a kite to lower than the bottom of the ocean. When he woke up he was in intense pain.
"Why does this suck so bad?" He groaned, throwing his head back. He refused to get up, but I didn't mind that.
"You got shot, do you expect rainbows and sunshine?" I asked. He glared at me.
"Thanks for the support Alice." He said sarcastically.
"What the hell do you want me to say? You're lucky you aren't dead!" I said angrily.
"You could be a little more understanding though!" He growled.
"Understanding?! You set yourself up for this!" I said, folding my arms across my chest.
"That's total bullshit." He said.
"Alright, fine. Next time you have a death threat on you, you'll have learned your lesson." I sighed before walking out of the room. I flopped into a chair at the kitchen table and pulled out my phone.
"Hey Alice. What's up?" Annabeth asked.
"Nothing really. How are you and Maxie doing?" I asked her. I was desperate for a distraction.
"We're doing okay. You and Sid are too, huh?" She asked. I could hear the smile in her voice.
"Yeah, I guess. We just had an argument though." I sighed.
"Oh yeah? Is he being a dumbass? He tends to do that, especially when he's in pain. Max told me about what happened last night." Annabeth said.
"Yeah, pretty much. So, how's the pregnant life treating you?" I asked.
"I'm fat as hell." She laughed.
"Why do I doubt that?" I smiled.
"You haven't seen me in way too long, that's why." She said.
"You're so busy with college though!" I said.
"I know. Thank God my year will be done by the time I have the baby." Annabeth sighed.
"Is it a boy or a girl?" I asked.
"We're not telling anyone." She said.
"Not fair! Are you having a babyshower?" I asked.
"No, I don't really want one. My family pretty much disowned me, and I didn't have many friends before I came here, so yeah." Annabeth said.

I chatted with Annabeth for over an hour, and by the time I hung up the phone Sidney had emerged from the bedroom.
"I'm sorry." He said stiffly.
"You don't sound it." I said. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair.
"Did they prescribe me anything? I hurt like all hell." He grumbled. I nodded, grabbed the orange prescription bottle I had been given for Sidney off of the counter, got a glass of water, and handed Sidney two pills. He threw them into the back of his throat and grabbed the water from my hand. After guzzling the glass, he turned to me.
"Thanks." He said.
"No problem." I said.
"Look...I'm sorry. I really am." Sidney sighed after a few minutes of awkward silence. This time he sounded genuinely sorry.
"It's okay. You just...I was scared. I was really, really, scared." I said. He pulled me into a one armed hug, and I rested my head on his chest.
"I was thinking...we should start planning the wedding." He said. His voice rumbled in his chest and I smiled.
"You were?" I asked.
"Yeah. Besides, what else am I gonna do? I'm hurt again." He laughed. I rolled my eyes.
"I bet the Pens are really hurting without you." I smiled.
"Nah, they've got it covered. We need to get the ball rolling though, or we won't be getting married for another few years." Sidney said.
"Okay...well then we should probably start with the guest list...oh, and where we want to get married." I said.
"Guest list shouldn't be too hard. The team, my family, your family, and various other friends." He said quickly.
"Well we kind of need names. You need to have a definite number of people invited when you book a venue." I said. Sidney groaned.
"This is going to be a lot of work, isn't it?" He asked.
"Who said this kind of thing was easy?" I asked. He kissed my forehead, and then winced.
"My life is never easy, is it?" He asked.
"Nope." I smiled.

41

Mr. Whitacre understood when I explained to him what the situation was, and he sent another reporter to cover the game that night.

“I don’t want you to worry about work when you have Sidney to worry about.” He smiled. That night I paced around the box. Evgeni scored within the first 5 minutes of the first period, but one of the Habs (I was too nervous to know who it was) rallied back with a goal of his own. The second period dragged on, goalless, and by the time the third period was underway, Sidney was looking restless. He kept glancing at the scoreboard, and with 10 minutes left to go the Canadiens scored again. Sidney frowned, and when he got on the ice he immediately stuffed the puck in the net. The game was tied 2-2, and I was starting to get even more anxious. Mario and some of the others in the box tried to get me to calm down, but we all knew that Sidney would score again if the game demanded it. Overtime. There were a few close calls, but nobody scored. Price was good…too good. When the shootout rolled around, I clenched the railing of the box so tightly my knuckles were paper white. The first two shooters for the Penguins scored, and the first of the Canadiens scored as well. Sidney was up third, and if he scored the game would be clinched. If he didn’t score then he gave the Habs a chance to win it. He looked up at the box as he took to the ice. I knew he was looking for me. He gathered some speed, picked up the puck, and raced towards the net. I knew he was going to score.

“Sid, no!” I screamed, but I was drowned out by the roar of the crowd as the red light lit up and the goal horn blared. Mario cursed, and I felt my knees turn to jello. Everyone in the crowd was celebrating, but the team left Sidney standing in front of the goal alone.

“Where are you going?” He cried, but he knew full well where I was going.

The locker room was quiet when I stormed in. The press had been told in advance that no players would be taking interviews tonight. Sidney turned as I slammed open the door and ran over to give me a hug, a smile spreading across his face. I wound up my arm and slapped him as hard as I could. He gaped at me as an angry red mark spread across his cheek.

“Are you fucking insane?!” I cried.

“What-?!” He started.

“Don’t you what me! You have a death threat on you and you still scored? Not only is that the stupidest  thing you could do, but it shows that you don’t trust your teammates either!” I screamed. I was so terrified for him that I was getting hysterical. He paled, except for where I had slapped him. One of the guys let out a low whistle, and another coughed awkwardly.

“Alice…I’ll meet you outside.” Sidney said coldly. I stormed from the locker room without another sound and as I got to the car my phone began to ring. I glanced backward and saw Sidney walking behind me.

“What?” I snarled, picking up the phone.

“I told you not to let him score again.” The man said before hanging up.

“Sid look out!” I screamed. The crack of a gun filled the parking lot and Sidney immediately collapsed to the ground. I ran over to him, and he was groaning and clutching his shoulder.

“Shit! What the hell?!” He said through clenched teeth. Blood pooled out, staining his white shirt red and dripping between his fingers. My heart raced and I looked around for who had shot him. I saw the shadow of a person running away, but I didn’t care. I immediately shoved my hand in his back pocket and pulled out his handkerchief. I checked to make sure it was clean and put it on his shoulder. He grunted as I pushed it into the wound.

“I told you, did I? You’re lucky he was a bad shot!” I said.

“Ow! Why are you doing that?” He asked weakly.

“You always apply direct pressure to a wound. Stop moving and relax.” I said quietly.

“Alice, what happened?!” Evgeni cried, running out of the building.

“Sid got shot. Call an ambulance!” I said. Evgeni let out a stream of Russian curses and whipped out his cell phone.

At the hospital Sidney was taken care of quickly. They cleaned the wound, stitched him up, and sent him on his way.

“I’m surprised that was that easy.” Sidney said in the car. I clenched the steering wheel tightly and sighed.

“You are the biggest idiot in the world.” I said.

“Where are we going?” Sidney asked.

“Your house.” I said.

“We’re not staying at your apartment?” He asked. Oh he is so drugged up right now.

“We’re not. I am.” I said.

“You’re gonna leave me by myself when I’m like this?” He asked, motioning towards the arm that was in a sling. The bullet had avoided bone, but it was just a precaution. I sighed.

“I guess not.” I muttered.

“Good.” He smiled before looking out the window. When we got to his house he flounced to the front door and patted his pockets.

“I can’t find my keys.” He frowned.

“I have them.” I sighed, pulling them out of my purse. I sent him to go change his blood stained shirt, but he called me up a few seconds later.

“I can’t do it with the sling on.” He said. I felt my irritation surge, but when I saw his helpless face I smiled slightly. Yup, definitely drugged up. I unbuttoned his shirt, careful to avoid bumping the large wad of gauze over the bullet wound. He stared at me for a minute before pulling me into him with his good arm.

“It’s still Valentines Day.” He said.

“Yeah I know.” I said.

“So…I’m gonna make out with you now.” He smirked before kissing me. I rolled my eyes and kissed him back.

Even after just being shot, Sidney was an amazing kisser. I placed my hand on his chest and his left hand wound through my hair. It wasn't the first time we'd made out by far, but it was probably at the top of my list. I blame the drugs. After a while Sidney broke away and stared at me lovingly.
"I love you." He muttered before yawning.
"I love you too...but you really should go to bed." I said.
"Only if you'll sleep in here with me." He smirked. I rolled my eyes again and turned to his dresser. After taking a pair of basketball shorts and a teeshirt out, I slipped into the bathroom and got changed. When I walked back into the bedroom, Sidney was struggling with his pajama pants.
"Oh my God you're helpless." I laughed, fixing his pants for him.
"I just got shot, and I'm probably as high as a kite right now, don't make fun of me!" He pouted.
"Shut up and get in that bed." I chuckled, pointing to the large bed.

40

The following night the team was in good spirits. Marc had called each and every team member threatening in various ways the torture they would go through if they lost the game. I was sitting in the team box for once because Sidney had insisted that I sit there. I grudgingly accepted, and had to dress more nicely than my usual game day jeans and jersey. It was the 3^rd period, and the team was up 4-2. Sidney had racked up two of the goals for the Penguins when my phone began to ring. I checked it and saw that it was an unknown number. I slipped out of the box and answered the call.

“Hello?” I asked.

“Hello Alice. I’ve been watching you for quite some time.” A man said on the other end. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up.

“Who is this?” I asked.

“Never mind who this is…I want you to pass along a little message for me.” The man said. His voice made me shudder slightly. It was dark and gravely, like the bad guys in a horror film.

“What message?” I managed to croak.

“Tell your darling little Sidney that he better not score more than once at the next game.” He said simply.

“What happens if he does?” I squeaked.

“I will kill him.” The man said.

“Please tell me this is some sort of sick prank.” I said.

“No. If he scores more than once Sunday, I will make sure that he dies. You have some sway over him, so I figured you would be the best messenger for me.” The man said.

“Y-you’re sick!” I cried.

“No, I’m not sick. Just make sure Sidney knows. Goodbye Alice.” The man said before hanging up. I ran into the box, and Mario jumped up as soon as he saw me.

“Alice, what’s wrong?” He asked.

As I told Mario what had happened he grew pale.

“This is very bad.” He said quietly.

“You’re telling me!” I said, rubbing my arms. The game was almost over, and Sidney was racing towards the goal on a breakaway. Hats flew as he popped the puck into the net, but for once in my life I didn’t celebrate.

“We’ll have to inform the police, and we’ll have to talk to Sidney. I’ll bring him up here, and you can speak with police in the mean time.” Mario said before pulling out his own phone.

“Are you serious?” Sidney asked. Mario and I both nodded grimly.

“We can’t scratch you, you’re the captain and with Marc hurt we really need you to be there. Just…just don’t score more than one goal.” Mario said quietly.

“There’s no way, this guy is obviously off his rocker. I’m not going to let someone scare me into submission!” Sidney cried. I grabbed his hands and he looked at me.

“Sidney…please…just…just don’t do it. Please.” I squeaked. His eyes were mixed, determination and confusion turned them a muddled swampy brown.

“Alice...I…I can’t promise that I won’t, but unless I absolutely have to, I won’t.” Sidney said after a while. I felt my heart thump, knowing full well that if it came down to it, Sidney would score that second goal.

“Sidney are you insane? You have someone threatening your life and you’re still willing to score a second goal?” Mario asked.

“Like I said, I won’t let a nut job scare me into submission.” Sidney said before walking out of the box. I collapsed into a chair and put my head in my hands. Mario placed a comforting hand on my shoulder.

“I’ll make sure that he doesn’t have to score that second goal. I’ll talk to the boys. They’ll get the job done.” Mario said before walking out of the box. I swear this week is just one nightmare after another.

The next day I woke up and found roses on my end table. I bolted upright and checked my phone. It was February 14^th.

“Shit!” I hissed, dashing out of the bedroom. Sidney wasn’t in the apartment, which made me raise an eyebrow. There was a note on the table, and I unfolded it.

Alice,

                Went to the morning skate, I’ll be back around 3. I love you.

                Sidney

I let out a sigh of relief and checked the clock. It was 9:30 AM. I dressed quickly, grabbed a bowl of cereal, and hurried out to the mall.

“What the hell am I going to get Sid?” I muttered, looking around. I eventually found myself in front of a small photo shop. I slowly pulled my camera out of my purse, and turned it on. It was teeming with pictures of Sidney and I, from our first date on the beach, to the proposal (I had discovered later that some of the guys had stolen my camera memory card so they could take pictures for me). I smiled at each and every picture. One of my favorites was from right after Christmas. I was sitting in a pile of snow with the touque Sidney had given me for Christmas on, and Sidney had his arms wrapped around me and was smiling broadly. His head was perched on mine, and we both looked incredibly happy. I walked into the shop, bought a large black photo book, and printed all of the pictures. I found a beautifully simple silver picture frame, and bought that as well.

When I got home I took a piece of paper out from my printer.

                Sidney,

                                Every picture in this book is part of our story. I love every single memory you’ve given me, whether it was captured on film or not. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. I love you.

                Alice

I set the paper aside and put every single picture I had printed into the album. When I was finally done, I had filled 250 of the 500 sleeves in the book. Is that weird that with all these pictures, only half of the book is full? I then turned the the pile of doubles I had printed and leaved through them before taking the picture of us on that snowy December day right before his injury and put it in the frame. I wrapped both items carefully before tucking the remaining pictures into a shoebox and hiding all of the objects in my bedroom. I checked the clock. 12:49. I bit my lip and then decided to start making Sidney's usual pre-game meal of chicken and pasta. Oh, I hope he doesn't get mad...he usually makes it himself. By the time I was finished cooking it was already 2. Another hour to go, and I was feeling restless. It was the first Valentines Day in a long time that I had felt nervous, so I fiddled with the ring on my finger to reassure me. I glanced at my outfit and immediately ran into my bedroom. I leafed through my closet quickly before deciding on a pair of skinny jeans, a cute, long sleeved black and gold Penguins shirt, and my black knit Uggs. I artfully curled my hair so that it looked natural, and as I was applying my last touches of gray eyeshadow the door opened.
"Alice?" I heard Sidney asked. I ran out and hugged him tightly.
"Hey! Happy Valentines Day!" I chirped before kissing him lightly. He grinned and kissed me back before picking up a small red bag from the hallway.  
"Did you like the roses?" He asked.
"Yeah! Where did you hide them?!" I asked.
"In Marc's closet...I figured you wouldn't be going in there." He laughed before scooping me up over his shoulder and tossing me onto the couch.
"Sid!" I laughed.
"Why does it smell so good in here?" He asked.
"I made dinner." I smiled.
"Chicken and pasta from the smell of it...my pre-game meal..." He said quietly. I swallowed nervously, but my nerves were calmed as he broke into a wide grin.
"So...wanna open your gift?" I asked.
"No. You open yours first." He demanded, dropping the bag into my lap. I found a gift card to Barnes and Noble, hell yeah!, a box of chocolates, and a long, black, velvet box.
"More jewelry? Sidney Patrick Crosby, you spoil me!" I sighed.
"Just open it!" He ordered. I stuck my tongue out and opened the box. Inside was a bracelet with a gorgeous silver heart. A red maple leaf made of what looked like rubies adorned one side, while I love you was carved on the other. I smiled and put the bracelet on the same wrist as the Penguins bracelet, and Sidney grinned even more widely.
"You like it?" He asked.
"Yeah! Its cute. Now I'll never forget that my heart belongs to Canada." I smiled.
"You mean a Canadian. I won't share you!" Sidney said before kissing my forehead.
"Fine then. Be greedy!" I teased before standing up and running to my room. Sidney waited on the couch and tore open the gifts quickly. He smiled when he opened the picture frame.
"I love this picture." He said, holding it up.
"Me too." I smiled. He opened the photo album next, and when he read the note his face flushed. Slowly he thumbed through each page of the album, and when he got to the end he looked up at me again.
"It's only half full..." He said.
"I know." I shrugged.
"Well, we're just going to have to fill it, aren't we?" He smiled, pulling out his camera. I stuck my tongue out at him and he took the picture, laughing.
"I love you Sidney." I said, kissing him on the cheek. He smiled with his mouth open wide, as cheesy as cheesy could get, and took another picture.
"I love you too Alice." He smiled before kissing me back.